Lost in a Memory
by TrulyCharmedOne
Summary: They won, only to be confronted with a new challenge that no one saw coming. Will he be able to move through the fog of amnesia to find the woman he dreams about? Will she still keep the hope that she will find him again someday soon? Will everyone get their HEA?
1. A Day in the Life

Hey thanks for reading. This is my first fanfic and it wouldn't be written without the help of my awesome friend Arewnnicole. You know who you are ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Power Rangers.

Chapter 1: A day in the life

_Looking across the basketball court, he couldn't help but think of how lucky he was to have the friends he does: four amazing people who have become family, each with their own personality. The tall, dark-skinned male, strong and confident; a feisty, pint-sized female with long hair, never afraid to speak her mind; another male with long hair like his, loves learning something new; and her… She is an angel surrounded by sunlight, joy and curiosity. Always up for an adventure and cares for everyone, including him. Tall with brown hair and the warmest smile he has ever laid eyes on, gives him the feeling that he can do anything. _

_He smiles back at her as he dribbles the basketball between his hands, getting ready to pass it off to one of the guys. Deciding to not pass it off he continues to dribble and goes for the 3-point shot. Watching it hit the backboard and bouncing off the rim, it almost doesn't go in. Just when its about to fall through the net, a piercing sound penetrates the laughter and cheers from his friends and the sound of the swoosh of the basketball causing the scene to fade away. He desperately looks for her and upon seeing her encouraging smile he…_

Opens his eyes.

The sound he heard was the alarm he set to begin another day of classes at Galactic Interstellar University. Reaching over to turn the alarm off, disappointment settles in his heart that he has to wait until he sleeps again to lay his eyes on her face again. The details of some of her features are never clear, but seem to be the tiniest bit clearer each night.

The dreams are constantly invade his mind every night… He doesn't know the people in them, nor the locations. However she is always part of them and always the last thing he searches for before waking. So far he has seen her at the basketball court, a school, and a room with a lot of computers. Other times they are together in a room and just talking and she is saying something to him but he can't hear the words.

The meaning of the dreams elude him and while he would love to daydream and think of her and who she is all day long, it's not possible when there is a future to secure. His past is pretty much a blur. Is she someone important in his past? Would they ever meet at some point in time and space? Is she even real?

Thanking his lucky stars that he has his own apartment instead of sharing a dorm, he sighs and gets out of bed, rubs his eyes and stretches. Showering and getting ready for the day, he looks in his closet to choose his clothes. Reaching for a button up shirt, dark pants and undergarments, he dons the items and looks in the mirror, satisfied, then runs a brush through his hair before pulling it back into a low ponytail.

Still a bit groggy, coffee is the first thing on his mind to help wake from the dream a little more. Walking to the kitchen he selects options on the Synthetron, grabs his drink in its to-go cup and his Danish and gets ready to head to class. He isn't sure why he wants coffee everyday. It's a drink that isn't served usually on this planet and he had to ask for it specifically when he found a place to live. He discovered that it is a common beverage on Earth, a planet a few systems over. Since Earth is part of the Alliance, it was no problem neither securing some nor keeping his cupboard stocked with it.

Thinking of his schedule for the day, he only has 2 classes, History and Military Law, but history is cancelled in favor of a scheduled lecture about how the Evil Empire was taken down and the fight to get to that point. The syllabus doesn't say who was giving the lecture; he just hopes that whoever it is has the ability to keep everyone awake.

He puts on his jacket and shoes, grabs his bag, coffee and breakfast, and locks up on his way out. The walk to campus isn't too far, but far enough to make sure things are quiet at home and not surrounded by college parties. He has a feeling that seems to have always been there: being okay with being alone. He doesn't really have friends and no one seems to want to talk to him. Not knowing why or caring, he spends his time focusing on his studies and the goal of working for the Planetary Alliance.

Looking around during his walk, nothing of interest really stands out. His mind begins to wander back to the most recent dream. It's not the first time that he has experienced this particular dream, but it always makes him think about who the people are, or what they represent.

Were they friends? The emotions present in the dream lead him to believe they could be. They seemed to be very close to one another, and possibly the "dream self" that represents his point of view. The four people feel real and feel very familiar, but he knows that he has never met them before. At least, he doesn't remember ever meeting them.

Would they be loyal people? Perhaps they would be the type of friends that seek one out when they want to spend time together. Or, would there be anything closer to explore beyond friendship with one of the ladies…

Cursing in his head, he wishes past wasn't so fuzzy and that he could remember more of his life. The doctors don't know what the cause of his condition is or what to do to help regain anything.

Shaking his head from his musings, he walks into the building for his Military Law class. Finding a seat in the classroom, he takes out his Data pad with his course materials and stylus and prepares to take notes. Trying to stay focused on the task at hand, he finds that concentrating today is fairly difficult. It seems like the dreams won't leave him alone today and are determined to break into his stream of consciousness. Feeling a flash of frustration, he is irritated that visions of a woman he will probably never meet insist on breaking is focus. Especially since he doesn't know if she even exists.

Two hours from start to finish, he types in the notes for the upcoming strategic project that was just assigned before leaving for lunch. Most days he makes his way to the fresh foods market to buy something to eat and sit outside under a tree to reflect on class and enjoy being outdoors. Today, however, as he was walking into the market, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye… was that the brown hair from the dream?

Taking a second glance, he can't find the hair again and determines it must be his dreams playing tricks on him. Perhaps he is subconsciously wanting those people to be real, to have friends… maybe even a family. His mind is creating illusions for him; maybe he is finally going crazy!

Reaching forward for a sandwich, an apple and refilling his travel mug with water, he makes his way to the pay station before going out to sit under his usual tree. Other students pass him by, not looking his direction. While he doesn't mind being alone, he sort of wishes at least one of his classmates would say hello or nod his way.

Feeling slightly invisible, he bites into his sandwich and takes a long pull from his drink. The apple is sweet and he thinks that he has had one before starting university, but that darn memory eludes him, just like everything else. Redirecting his thoughts to the project assigned in class, he pulls out his Data Pad and goes over the objectives and makes notes of the resources he will need to pull from.

For many of his classmates, this is a boring class. Then again, not everyone is cut out for a life in the Service of the Universe. He finds it fascinating and loves discovering what not to do, or thinking about what he would change to alter the outcome and what it would mean for each side of the conflict.

Strategy and planning is something he discovered that he has a talent for; a raw talent his Professor said. He has a mind for what needs to be done and when and isn't afraid to take a chance on something that has a lower chance of coming to a positive resolution. So far his grade in the class has him at the top and his Professor is recommending him for an internship, to get his feet wet, in the Planetary Alliance.

Leaning his head back against the tree, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Inhaling, he discovers the scents of the trees, bark, soil, grass and many fragrant flowers. The ones that stand out the most are vanilla and cherry blossoms. Something comes to his mind, a memory? Standing on the roof of a building looking out over a city: the scent combination is there, on that roof, but he can't… the image blurs and it's gone.

Picking up his lunch remnants and packing his book bag, he recycles the packaging in the nearby bin. Completing that task, he turns left to walk towards the building for his History class with the guest lecturer. Making his way down the sidewalk, he looks up to see the sun reflecting in the most beautiful shade of brown hair…

Is it?

Maybe it's…

Does he believe what he is seeing? That is the exact shade of hair from his dream, and the same as the one he thought he saw at the market. As he watches the woman walk across the campus, he notices she is walking towards the building in which his classroom is. He wonders if she is the guest lecturer for class today.

Following her at a sedate pace, but keeping her in view, he watches her walk into the building. He enters the building and makes way to his classroom. Entering, he makes his way to his seat, about a quarter of the way up the lecture hall. He proceeds to prepare his desk to take notes from the lecture, knowing there would be a paper to turn in by next class on his take of the conflict and the outcome. Thinking he might be able to tie it into his Military Law class, he looks up…


	2. Realizations and Recovery

Chapter 2: Realizations and Recovery

Ashley, having just sent a kick to yet another Quantron, took a look around in desperation to see how the civilians were faring against the fight along side her and the other Rangers. Never in her wildest dreams did she believe that they would be fighting next to them. Everyone seemed to be holding his or her own but if something didn't happen soon, it wouldn't be good for anyone on Earth. The civilians aren't trained like the Rangers and don't have the stamina or Power to last long.

Next thing she knew, a bright beam of light made its way from the sky and swept across the land and air, neutralizing the Quantrons, Darkonda, Ecliptor, and everything else with ties to the Dark Alliance. The Rangers stood in awe with the rest of the people of Earth as they watched Evil turn to sand, literally, and knowing in their hearts that they finally won the war.

But at what cost?

The beam of light also went through the Rangers and filled them with such a warm, comforting glow of hope and love, it caused them all to de-morph. Which wasn't a problem considering they revealed their identities only when it counted the most, it still felt like an odd sensation.

Turning to see where the rest of the team was, there was one missing face, the face of the man whom she loves and desperately wants to see again. She remembers that he made a bold and courageous decision to infiltrate the Dark Fortress himself the night before the final battle in order to save his sister and try to stop the attack from happening. Obviously he couldn't stop the battle. The big question is, did he survive? Did they both survive? What about Zordon?

Thinking about the moments right before he morphed with his Battleizer, how sweet he was with her and the words they exchanged, how their eyes locked as they tried not to say goodbye. It was the most terrifying moment in her life.

_"What if we try to signal for more Rangers to help?" asked TJ._

_"Everyone is fighting their own battles on so many worlds right now. I'm not sure if there is anyone that can be spared from protecting the defenseless," replied Zhane._

_"Then what are we going to do?" Cassie sighed in frustration. "I'm not giving up but there are way more of them than there are of us and too many civilians to protect here."_

_Ashley looked up at Zhane as they both turned to where Andros was standing. "Hey, what…" Zhane went to ask Andros but he wasn't there. He was a short distance away looking up at the sky with a rigid stance. _

_Walking over to Zhane, Ashley whispered, "Let me check on him. I know this is like KO-35 all over again and you were both involved in your efforts to save your world. After losing everything and watching you heal for two years in cryo-sleep, this is really hard on him and he is afraid to lose us all."_

_Nodding, Zhane gives her shoulder a squeeze with a small grin. He knows how stubborn Andros can be, of course he does. It's what happens when two people grow up and train together for this exact reason._

_Ashley slowly made her way through the rubble making a little noise so not to startle him. Andros hears her and turns around slowly sighing._

_"I'm at a loss right now. I feel like I'm reliving everything from four years ago and I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that I'm about to lose…" Andros loses some of his composure._

_Ashley rushes up to hug him and ground him in the current fight for their lives. "Don't tell me you're giving up now." She says cheekily. "I've just found you and there is no way that we are losing one another anytime soon."_

_Releasing a small chuckle, he regains some of his composure, hugs Ashley very tight and sighs. "Thanks for that. You always know how to get me out of my head." Andros reached down to kiss her, slowly at first with just a sweep of his lip upon hers, something they have done many times, then lets it turn into something more heated. Andros swept his hands up her back, leaving one at the base of her spine and the other woven into her hair. Ashley was having trouble keeping a clear head. Finally, she was able to break away; breathless as she was and not wanting to stop but knowing it had to happen._

_"Not that I don't want to keep going," Ashley interrupted as Andros kissed down her neck, "but we aren't going to do this here and now. When we finally make that next move, it will be when we have won and we are safe again. This is too important to rush into and I want to be able to fully enjoy it."_

_Breaking his lips away from her neck and resting his head on her shoulder, he took a deep breath, "You're right. I'm not sure what I was thinking or even doing. My body was on autopilot. You're my rock and in this world of chaos, I just want you. Does that make me a bad Ranger? A bad Leader?" Andros raised his head to look into her golden brown eyes._

_"Not at all," she reassured him, looking right back at him. "This is war. We have to find happiness and love wherever we can find it. It keeps us human and gives us a moral compass as to what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes we need to have that reassurance to remember what we are fighting for. We fight for our friends, our families, the innocent people of the universe, the ones who can't fight for themselves," she took a deep breath and gave a shaky smile, "for us… that is our mission. We are the Power Rangers and this is it. This is the final battle then everyone we know and love can go and live and be happy."_

_Andros looked at her in amazement, "How did I get so lucky, out of all the universe, to find someone like you to light a fire in my heart yet keep me grounded. Thank you for reminding me how much we have to fight for." _

_"I'm still not sure how I will be able to get my sister back though," he commented looking desperately into her eyes._

_Ashley looked at him and after a moment, realized what he was thinking. "No, Andros, you're not going to do it!" Ashley exclaimed._

_"Ash, I have to. If we have any chance of stopping this, I'm the only one who has the ability to get there. I can fly using "03" on my Battelizer and sneak aboard the Fortress," he replied grabbing her hands and willing her to understand what needs to be done._

_"I… but… I can't lose you," she began crying softly._

_"You won't lose me," he replied in his turn to reassure her. "I need to do this for us, to give us a chance in case it begins to get overwhelming. Astronema is coming for everyone here in the morning no matter what. If I go now, I can try to stop it before even more people get hurt."_

_"Then promise me," she said in desperation. "Promise me that you will come back to me. That you'll do what you can to bring Karone back to us, that you'll do what you can up there while we take care of the ground forces, and you'll come back to me."_

_Looking into her eyes, brushing a stray hair out of her eyes and tenderly laying the same hand on her cheek, "I promise to do my best to come back to you. No matter what, I will always come back to you."_

_They closed their eyes and sealed the promise with a kiss so passionate and full of love that there seemed to be a glow from within lighting up the area. Not that anyone saw or noticed, including themselves, but it was a promise so strong that it created a physical manifest of light from their hearts. When the glow faded, it seemed to pulse in the gem of the necklace that she was gifted from him on her birthday._

_Breaking apart and opening their eyes, Ashley looked at Andros and tried to memorize his face. He was doing the same without it looking like he was saying goodbye, just in case. _

_Staring into her eyes, he exposed his left wrist with the battelizer and raised it to his right hand. In the stunning silence, the "03" was loud compared to the hushed conversation between the two lovers. The noise alerted the others as to what was happening and they joined Ashley just in time to see Andros turn and fly into the night sky._

_Cassie and Zhane moved over to speak with Ashley who had tears in her eyes and was hugging herself tight. Looking at her face, they knew she wasn't going to talk about what was happening and guided her to sit down._

_"He went, didn't he?" asked Zhane. Ashley could only nod and keep looking at the sky where he disappeared._

_TJ and Carlos looked at the team and started to make adjustments to the plan since they were a Ranger down. They guided everyone back to the fire they built and the planning area they made to discuss the changes they came up with. _

_Ashley heard Zhane whisper to the sky, "You better make it back. I'm not sure if she can live without you."_

_Shortly afterwards, Ashley gained control of herself once again and she jumped into the planning process, making sure that everyone knew their roles so she could help keep them safe. If she couldn't be with him, she would be there for the rest. With a newfound determination, she got to work._

Shaking herself from her musings, Cassie walked up to her.

"Have you heard anything?" She asked.

Shaking her head, "Not yet, but that's okay, he will come back. He promised"

Gathering the rest of the Rangers and making sure the civilians were okay; they spotted the Dark Fortress descending from the sky to the ground in a controlled motion. Seeing the ship, Ashley smiled and started running towards it.

As soon as it landed, the bay door opened and the ramp was deployed. Ashley, not thinking straight, ran up the ramp and up into the ship. She could hear the others yelling after her that it's not safe and that they didn't know who would still be aboard. Ashley ignored them in her determination to find Andros and Karone.

Walking past the bulkheads into the bridge area, a battle was clearly fought here. Cautiously, she looked around to see if anyone was there. It wasn't long before she found Karone. The head implant on her temple was sparking, signaling a malfunction. She tore it off as carefully as she could in case there were wires into her brain.

As soon as it came off, Karone began to lose the red hue to her hair and the leather she was wearing changed into something a bit looser. She soon opened her eyes and looked up.

"Ashley, what happened?" She asked.

Ashley helped her to her feet, "You don't remember?" Karone shook her head. "You volunteered to come back here to redirect the asteroid but you were caught. They had reprogrammed Ecliptor to be evil and he took you and did the same to you using a mind controlling implant. We have been trying to figure out how to save you for almost a year."

Karone looked at her in disbelief, "Where are the others? My brother, Zhane?"

"Zhane is outside with Cassie, TJ and Carlos, probably wondering what is taking me so long. The Fortress landed shortly after the forces of evil were defeated," Ashley replied.

"What about my brother?" Karone asked in confusion.

Ashley sighed and tried not to cry. "He came up to the ship last night to try and stop Astronema and the invasion before the final battle began. He was unsuccessful since we still had to fight today. I came in to look for you both and I've only found you so far."

"Well let's look for him together," Karone said.

They turned and stopped dead in their tracks. There, against the wall was a hollow and broken tube with shattered glass everywhere. They looked on in sadness and horror at the image before them; Zordon was gone.

Reaching out to touch the tube, Karone tried to figure out how this happened. Ashley was desperately trying to look for any trace of Andros.

"Andros!" she yelled. "Can you hear me?"

She searched the whole bridge of the ship and behind a gated door, she found his Spiral Saber. "Andros!" she yelled louder.

Karone came up behind her and saw the Saber in her hand. " I don't remember anything that happened. Maybe the memory banks are intact and we can see if a recording is still there?"

"Go for it," Ashley replied. "You know how to work this better than I. Let me call the others so they know we are okay and we can debrief."

"Will do," Karone said turning to the main computer bank. "This may take me a few minutes. I have to reroute power to the archives."

Ashley nodded and tapped her communicator.

Outside the ship, Zhane, Cassie, TJ and Carlos were being congratulated and hailed as heroes for the defeat of evil. They were trying to be gracious and tried to celebrate with everyone. Cassie heard the familiar electronic chime of their communicators and quieted everyone around them down.

"Cassie here," she spoke into her wrist. "Are you okay?"

"I need you guys to come onto the ship. I've found Karone and she is fine but we can't find Andros."

"Can't find him? We will be right in," Cassie replied.

Dropping her wrist, Cassie looked to the rest of the team "We have to find him. We don't know what we are walking into so everyone be careful. Zhane are you okay?"

"Yeah, for now. Lets go in and see what we are looking at."

Carlos and TJ both agreed and they walked on with caution.

When they walked in, the first thing they saw was Zordon's Warp Tube broken along the wall.

"What happened to Zordon?" Carlos asked. "Was that the energy wave that helped us?"

TJ looked over to Carlos, "If I had to guess I would say yeah it was. The question is whether it was Andros or if it was a casualty of the battle in here."

"A-ha! Got it," exclaimed Karone.

Everyone turned to the main viewing screen to see Andros walk onto the bridge. The events that unfolded were difficult to watch and the conversation between Andros and Zordon was almost unbelievable. They watched as Andros's Spiral Saber swept across the Warp Tube and shattered it, releasing the energy wave. When the light disappeared from the screen, Astronema was on the ground, the Spiral Saber was rolling into the other room and settling behind the door, and Andros was nowhere to be found.


	3. Healing and Progress

Chapter 3: Healing and Progress

_Beep… beep… beep… beep…_

"Doctors, what do we have?" asked the physician as she walked into the room.

"Not sure yet. He was unconscious at the scene. A couple of hikers found him just outside the city limits in civilian clothes," a nurse responded.

"Vitals are stable and there are no major injuries, only bruises and a good sized bump on his head. Pupils are equal and reactive," the surgeon-on-call commented.

"No ID and there are no facial recognition records in the database," the nurse said. "He's not from here."

"Get holographic imaging in here and run labs. I want to make sure there is no internal bleeding. Let's see what his status is when he wakes."

A couple hours later, the medical center had him comfortable in bed in a private room. It was quiet, almost too quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were from the machines and the staff walking the hall.

That evening, a nurse walked in to check his vitals. Everything continued to be stable but he still didn't wake. She turned him in the bed to avoid bedsores and added extra support pillows along his back.

She looked over at him, "You're a very handsome guy. Where did you come from? Who is looking for you?" She looked down and adjusted his blanket. "Well, whoever you are, I hope that you have someone trying to find you."

A moment later, she sighed, entered his stats into the data pad, and left the room.

_One week later_

_Beep… beep… beep… beep…._

The young man still lay in the bed, the bruises looked a lot better and the lump on his head was now gone.

Suddenly, his heart rate began to increase and he opened his eyes. Looking around, he saw that he was in some kind of medical center, judging by the equipment he could see and how scratchy the sheets were. Then the pain hit.

_Groan_

He tried to sit up but his muscles didn't seem to want to cooperate.

"Hey, hey, hey!" the doctor ran in. "Take it easy." She helped him get comfortable in his bed before continuing. "How are you feeling?"

The young man took a moment to process the question. "I feel sore… my back and my head are hurting. What happened to me?"

The doctor proceeded to give pain medication in his IV.

"We aren't exactly sure. You were brought to us after some good Samaritans found you," she explained. "Can you tell me your name? Do you know where you are?"

"Um, no I don't, sorry…" the young man looked up and asked. "Everything is a bit fuzzy and I don't remember anything right now. Why can't I remember?"

Sitting down in the chair next to the bed, she sighed and looked at him. "You are currently at a Planetary Alliance Hospital on the planet Augino in the Claudian System. My name is Dr. Marina."

Seeing the panic in the young man's eyes, she continued, "You came to us with bruises and a bump on your head. We performed a holographic scan and ran lab work and everything came back normal. There was a little swelling on the temporal lobe of your brain but that has now decreased."

"Damage in the part of the brain can cause amnesia, right?" he asked?

Surprised, she responded, "Yes, it can cause loss of memory. How did you know that? Do you remember if you have any medical training?"

"Maybe? I feel like I may have some but I'm not sure from where or why," he replied. "I was able to look at my monitors and know what my stats were. Beyond that, I'm not certain."

Contemplating his response, she stood up, "Well for whatever reason, I'm glad you can understand what is happening. We will do what we can to help you out. I'll speak to the Commander and let him know that you're awake. He has been working with a team at the Compound to see if there was any abnormal activity in the area."

"Military? Commander? What do they have to do with this?"

"There was an abnormal atmospheric signature that showed up the same day you were found. It was thought to have been a small ship but now I'm wondering if it was from you."

The man nodded and the doctor left the room. He could hear her asking a nurse to bring him some food and drink now that he was awake.

_Another week later_

"Well you have no physical deficits," Dr. Marina said. "That's fantastic news!"

"Great," he said with little enthusiasm while pacing the length of her office. "I still haven't remembered anything from before I woke up!"

"That can take some time. I'm going to be honest with you," she said as she leaned against the desk and crossed her arms. "The brain is a tricky thing. I have a feeling that as you move on with your life and new identity, you'll find something to trigger a memory and hopefully that will jump start discovering who you are."

"So no one has filed a missing persons report? What about nearby planets and systems? Anything?"

"The Commander will know more about that when you meet with him later. He hasn't reported anything to me in that regard."

Walking over to the desk, he smirked and reached out to shake her hand. "Well, thank you for everything, Dr. Marina."

"You're very welcome, and good luck," she responded in kind with a smile on her face.

After he was discharged, the Commander's assistant met him outside to transport him to the Compound. "Please, call me Piero," the assistant acknowledged. "Are you ready to go? Do you have any bags to load up?

The young man shook his head, "No, no bags. Just me and yes, I'm ready to go."

"Do you have a name that I may call you?" Piero asked.

"I don't remember who I was before I was found and I haven't picked a new name yet," he responded. "I thought I might think about it or someone will help me choose something fitting for now."

"Fair enough," Piero said. "Hopefully you'll remember who you are soon. Let's get going, shall we?"

Piero led him over to the hovercraft and they left for the Compound.

* * *

"Diary Log: Earth date 7.27.1999. It's been two weeks since the final battle and I am no closer to finding Andros. I have been working everyday searching the sectors for a trace of him. I sent word to the Rebels of KO-35 that he is missing and they are keeping an ear out for any missing persons reported in their area."

Ashley paused to take a breath and collect her thoughts before continuing the recording into her data pad.

"So far, I have also sent word to Aquitar, Triforia, the Vika Galaxy, Utoba, Mirinoi and the Phantom Ranger. News has been slow between the war torn planets and Rangers out there so I don't expect a response too soon but I still hope. The rest of the team is hopeful as well but they are taking care of the other responsibilities a Ranger has: assisting with the cleanup, getting the Dark Fortress out of Angel Grove, honoring any fallen, coordinating with our predecessors."

Ashley got up to move to check the scan in progress. She preferred to check herself instead of relying on DECA to report the findings, or lack thereof.

"Zhane and Karone are eager to get back to the Rebel base to help get them settled back on KO-35. They are holding back since I am using the Megaship as my search base but I know that they will need to go soon. Once I know he isn't in this galaxy, I'll feel more confident to leave Earth and help. For now, we help here then move onto the next most important place to us—The Rebels and KO-35."

Stopping to think, she took a long pull from her tumbler of juice.

"I know that I can't use the Megaship forever for my search. I'm hoping that by the time we are ready to get KO-35 settled that I will come up with a new plan so the ship can be used again for its original missions."

Pausing a beat, she sighs with sadness. "I miss him. I have moved into his room to be close but his scent is starting to fade. I look at the pictures and holorecordings we captured together when we visited somewhere special but that is all I have. That and all the memories that run on repeat in my head every time I sleep. I guess that's why I am awake and not resting. Once I come up with a better plan, or I can eliminate places that Andros could be, I will be able to get more sleep… maybe."

Ending the entry, she put the data pad back in the charging port and looked up at the clock. It was pretty late but sleep still eluded her.

Cassie, TJ and Carlos opted to stay with their families for the past couple nights. The local news has been going on and on about the Power Rangers and everything they did to save the world and Ashley wasn't mentally or emotionally ready to face that. Her family knew she was safe and that Andros was missing. They understood but still worried.

Zhane and Karone were taking advantage of a quiet ship to get some sleep. Ashley knew that they were growing closer but they were trying to not broadcast their blooming relationship at the same time.

Everyone had their own thing going on now that they weren't being called to fight monsters every time evil invaded. She didn't want to say that she was lonely, but she was. Andros had been a constant in her life for the past two years, even before they started dating. To say the transition was difficult and unwanted was an understatement.

"DECA, please move to the next sector scan for Andros's power signature and communicator," Ashley asked of the computer.

"Current sector scan complete. Changing scan area range to sector 5.4-6.4," DECA replied.

When she was forced to give up searching the Dark Fortress for Andros by the rest of the team, she pretty much collapsed from the adrenaline leaving her system. Ashley was asleep for over 24 hours with DECA and the other Rangers keeping watch over her. When she woke up, she didn't say a word. She started moving her things into his room and that was it. She wouldn't leave Andros's quarters except to keep scans going with DECA, check the reports, and to get a bite to eat.

Her bubbly and upbeat personality was there on the surface, to a point. She had to maintain a positive attitude about finding him again, because she would find him. It was difficult to hide the dark and depressing feelings on the inside. She saved those feelings for when she was curled up in Andros's bed, hugging his pillow and wrapped in his blankets.

_Two weeks after the battle_

"Ashley, you need to take a break!" Karone said.

"You haven't eaten a decent meal or slept for more than a couple hours since you woke up," Cassie chimed in.

In frustration, Ashley turned to them with tears in her eyes. "What I NEED is to keep searching! He never stopped looking for Karone and I know he would never stop looking for me if anything happened, and he has! When Psycho Yellow took me, he didn't give up. He told me that he had to get your head in it, Cassie. That because of our fight that day, you were so down that he had to give you the hope to help look!"

Cassie and Karone looked at one another in concern. Cassie remembered that day vividly and Ashley's words stung a little. She knew they were said in the heat of the moment and in frustration but that didn't make it hurt any less.

They weren't sure what to do to help besides run scans along side Ashley and check reports. The guys were on Earth continuing to help with the cleanup so it was up to them to comfort her for the moment.

Ashley walked to the other side of the bridge to put new data into the console. Sighing she put her data pad on the station and turned around.

"I'm sorry, that was mean," Ashley said as she sat down in the chair at her station.

"It's only been two weeks. I promise I will take breaks and take care of myself but if I don't keep going when Andros is out there, I will never forgive myself. He could be hurt, in a coma… he could be…" Ashley stopped as she tried to regain her composure.

Taking a hiccoughing breath, she continued, "No, I'm not going to say it. Trust me. I know he is out there," she finished while holding onto her necklace.

She discovered that her necklace gave off a warm feeling when she touched it and thought of Andros. Besides practically moving into his room and cocooning herself in his scent, it was the only thing outside of there that gave her comfort.

She looked at the main viewing screen and pulled the necklace up to press it to her lips for a moment, "He has to be okay."


End file.
